Direct-current-relay compensating coil



Oct. 2,1923. K 1,469,400

A. R. WHITEHORN Filed March s. 1921 Patented Oct. 2, 19273.

PATENT oFFicE.

ARTHUR n. WIII'I'BHORN, oFnoWNEns GROVE, ILLINOIS.

IiIaEcr-,cIIRRENT#RELAYl CQMPENSATING con..

applicati@ med March 5, 1921. seiai No'l 449,795. y

T o all whom if may con cern:

Be it known that I. ARTHUR R. lVHrrn- HORN, a citizen of the United States, resid-' ing at Downers Grove, in the county of Du Page and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dircct-Current-Relay Compensating Coils, of which the following is aspecitication.

My invention relates to relay construction and particularly to a ,lay compensating coil.

In electric relays used in circuits such as signaling, telephoning,'telegraphing and the like where small currents -flow'to the relays7 difficultyl has been experienced in'ener'giz- `ing the armatures of the relay. In yrailway* signals the Railway Signal Association calls for a relay of 4l ohms to attract at .076 and release at 037 amperes and the `great diflicu'lty has been to .produce a relay to carry .out the above yrequirements without; causing agreat deal of trouble in the signal system.' y n An object of my invention is to provide a relay construction for overcoming the 0b- `jectionsexperienced in the lresent construction of relays and especial y of relays used in track signal systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compensating 'coil for a relay whichinfluences the armature ot the vrelay ma et to a certain extent.

further object is to improve relay construction for successful commercial use.

"Generallyspeaking I carry out the preferred embodiment of my invention by pro-y viding a secondarycoil on the same yoke as the primary' and influencing the same armature.4 Preferabl a separate sourceof energy 1s provided orthe secondary coil,

- the circuit of which is closed by the armature as it isdeenerizd. y

The various nove features of my inven tion will heap arent from the following specification and) t1cularly pointed `out in the appended claims. l

Inthe drawings: Y rligu're 1 is va schematic drawing of my invention as applied to railway signaling. v Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of a magnet constructed in accordance with my invention. f n igure-B is aside elevation of Figure y2y all l direct `current re-y drawings and will be Dar-r4 Figure v4 is a diagrammatic representation ofiny invention Las applied to a circuit other than a track signaling circuit.

In Figure 1 there is shown a track hav` ing a section or block A-B which is the usual block for signaling purposes. In the arrangement shown therein the direction of inoveinent of the train is indicated by the varrow and as shown is from right to lett.

At` the leaving end of the'block, ythat is Vat the end A, there is kconnected a battery ing maintained in lvertical position by means of a relay influenced by the battery C so that the" relay will be energized as,

long .asl the block is clear. When the relay circuit is opened by design or otherwise, the signal will fall to indicate danger.

l Referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings I have therein shown a relay comprising magnets 11 and 12 having pole vpieces 13 and 14 influencing the armature' 15 hinged to a. pivot 18. Below the primary magnets 11' and l12 are secondary magnets 11 and 12a respectively, the urpose of which will be explained later. he magnets shown in Figures 2 and 3are adapted to control a plurality of circuits through upper contacts 16 and lower contacts 17, the arma-ture 15 being pivoted or hinged at 18 and provided with a forwardly extending double contact-linger 19 which when the magnet is energized makes electrical connection through the contact pieces 16 and .when the magnetis deenergized makes electrical contact through vthe lower contact points 17.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings I have shown a magnet such as that disclosed in lFigures 2 and 3 of the drawings havingr aprimar magnet X and secondary magnet X whici act-on the armaturer designated generally by the reference character 20 and which armature may include a pluralityof ondary magnet X', I provide a second battery from which a single conductor extends to one end or' the coil ot' the magnet X while a second conductor 2i connects the secondary magnetl X with one ot the members 20 on the armature and as long as the magnet X is energized7 the armatures 2() will remain in position shown in Figures l and ot the drawings in which position the` magnet X i5 tlc-energized; as soon as t-he magnet X becomes deenergizcd the armature drops making contact at point which is the same as lower contact 17 shown in Figure l ot the drawings. Thisv contact is in electrical connection with battery L12 Ylirougl the conductor Q6 so that when theI armature drons a circuit is established from the ba'I ry through the secondary magnet Il icrgizing the same. The

amount of current flowing through the magnet. X is not suilicient'to attract the armai ture and thus defeat the purpose ol' the relay. 'il he current is just snllicient to inlluence the armature to such an extent as to keep the same in what may be termed a floating condition or in a state of equilibrium tending to overcome the attract-ion of gravity on the armature so that when the primary magnet X energized the armatures will be attracted immediately by rcasonoiI the fact that the primary magnet does not `have to overcome the attraction oiE Travit and of the air gap between the pole pieces and the armature. The secondary magnet may be said to kick the armature and aid it inn its upward movement. AS Soon as the armature breaks connection with the cont-act 25 the secondary magnet ot course becomes dcenergized.

In Figure 1 I have' also shown an intermediate relay comprising a primary magnet Y and a secondary magnet Y constructed and functioning as described with respect to the magnet Kand X. However, the circuits controlled by the armature 27 t the magnet Y are Slightly dillierent from those controlled by the armature 20 magnet X. Tii'hen the block l1-B is clear the magnet Y of the intermediate relay is energized attracting armature 2T may consist ot' a plurality ot members also. Then the magnet Y is energized attracting armature 2T, cur rent iiows Ytrom battery 31 through conductors 3Q, :t-l. primary magnet X baci( through conductor 2S. contact 16. resistance 3() to the battery 31. This circuit controls the energization ot the primary magnet X which operates the signal in the next preceding block that is at the B end oi `the block rfb-B, The resistance 30 limits the amount of lionv ot the current when the magnet Y is energized to take care of short circuits due to trains being on the track. track leakage and the like.

As soon as the magnet Y is deenergize-d bv the train leaving the left section of the bloc-k -B the armature 2T t'alls making contact with the lower contact point 17. Thereupon7 the battery 31 sends a currentthrough conductor Bil', secondary magnet Y, conductor 35, lower contact 17, conductor 3G to conductor 32, back to the battery. This causes energization ot the secondary magnet I only to the extent that the armature ma \l be neutral or maintained in a state ot equilibrium so that when the primary magnet Y is energized the armature 2T will be attracted immediately. lt will be noted that the circuit lo the primary magnet X is controlled through the armature of the magnet Y. This construction is used in certain types ol signal systems.

While I have shown my invention as used in connection with a signal system it is not limited to such use. In Figure 4 I have shown a wiring diagram including a battery or other source of electric energy 3i', included in a circuit in which there is a primary magnet 38 anda secondary magnet 39, both i11- l'luencing armature 40. Included in the cireuit between the battery 37 and the primary magnet is a switch 41 which may open and close the circuit 'from the battery to the magnet. As long.)r as this switch remains closed the magnet is energized and the armature attracted so that any circuit in which included upper contact 42 would be closed. As soon as the switch 41 is opened the armature @t0 drops breaking the circuit in which is included the upper contact 42. lfVhen the armature 4,0 drops it makes contact with the point 4?) in circuit with the battery. 44 in the conductor 15 which includes the secondary magnet 39 so thathere too the secondary magnet becomes energized as soon as the armature is deenergized, the secondary magnet in this instance performing the same function as that in the illustration heretofore described. The diagram at the right hand of Figure 4 illustrates the circuit established when the switch 4l is opened.

IVhile I have described more or less preeisely the details of construction of my invention. I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto. as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest. or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my inyention.

I claim:

1. A relay construction including a magnet and an armature influenced thereby, said armature adapted to close selected circuits under certain conditionsa second magnet adapted also to iniuence said armature and an energizing circuit for said second magnet controlled by said armature and adapted to be closed thereby while said first magnet is deenergized.

2. A relay, including a magnet and an armature, a plurality of circuits controllable by position of said amature, one circuit adapted to be closed when said magnet is energized and another circuit adapted to be closed when said magnet is de-energized, a second magnet established to influence said armature and included in the circuit closed by said armature when said first magnet'is de-energized, said latter circuit including a separate source of energy from the first magnet. f

3. A relay including a single armature and two magnets7 each magnet having a different source of energy supply, and one of said magnets having a circuit opened or closed by said armature under the influence of said other magnet.

4. An interdependent relay construction including an actuating relay set and a control relay for said set, each of said relays including a single armature and two magnets therefor, said actuating relay set being caused to function after said controlling relay has become energized.

5. A relay including a primary and a secondary magnet mounted on one yoke, an armature adapted to control selected circuits unde-r certain conditions responsive to said magnets, an energizing circuit for the secondary magnet and an energizing circuit for the primary magnet, said secondary magnet circuit adapted to be closed by said armature While said primaryl magnetV remains open for compensating gravity whereby said armature may respond immediately whenever said primary circuit is closed.

Signed at Downers Grove, Illinois, this 19th day of February, 1921.

ARTHUR R. WHITEHORN. 

